BenQ’s New Monitor is Photo-Friendly and Under $500

May 01, 2024

Jeremy Gray

Two views of a benq monitor displaying a vibrant aurora over snowy mountains on the screen, with the front and back perspectives showing the sleek design and adjustable stand.

A good computer monitor is one of the most important aspects of a robust photo editing workflow. However, color-accurate, high-quality displays are often quite pricey, sometimes prohibitively so. BenQ aims to change that with its new SW242Q monitor.

Although a bit on the smaller side, the new 24.1-inch 2K display is designed with enthusiasts and professional photographers in mind. The monitor includes BenQ’s exclusive AQCOLOR tech, third-generation uniformity, and Paper Color Sync to help photographers print better images. The SW242Q includes many of the features BenQ includes in its larger monitors.

The 16:10 panel offers a maximum resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels and its wide gamut covers 99% of the Adobe RGB color space and 98% of DCI-P3. The monitor is technically HDR, supporting HDR10 and HLG standards. However, the panel’s maximum brightness is 400 nits, so it is not ideal for editing HDR video, even though it is sufficient.

A computer monitor displaying a photo editing software interface with an image of two horses saddled with vibrant textiles in a scenic grassy field against a backdrop of mountains.

For photo editing, however, 400 nits are more than enough — color accuracy and uniform reign supreme. To that end, BenQ guarantees a Delta E less than 1.5, “so users can experience color accuracy from the start.” The SW242Q also has third-party certifications from Calman and Pantone, including Pantone SkinTone validation. The monitor includes BenQ’s Palette Master Ultimate, which performs hardware calibrations for continued color accuracy.

Digital graphic for "aecolor" featuring text "colors you can trust" above color fidelity specs like "99% adobe rgb", "100% srgb", "98% display p3", and "delta ex1.5" against a dark background with neon lines.

The display is compatible with SDI and HDMI devices, plus SDI capture cards. Further, users can enjoy video, audio, and data transmission alongside simultaneous 90W power delivery with a single USB-C cable.

The SW242Q includes a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort (v1.4) port, a USB-C port, a USB-B port, and a pair of USB 3.1 downstream ports. It also has a non-PD USB-C port and an SD card reader.

The panel tilts from -5 to +20 degrees, swivels 30 degrees in either direction and supports 90-degree pivoting to turn it into a portrait orientation monitor. The included stand offers up to 120 millimeters of height adjustment. The monitor also supports VESA wall mounting (100 x 100 millimeters).

A desktop setup featuring a monitor displaying a mountain landscape, flanked by a dslr camera on the left and printed photographs on the right, all against a dark background.

“At BenQ, we continue to recognize the need for color accurate display solutions, particularly for photographers and videographers,” says Jason Lee, LCD business line manager at BenQ. “The new SW242Q delivers color precision like never before, streamlining editing processes and workflows for a seamless approach to color management.”

The BenQ SW242Q is available to purchase for $480 from BenQ or $440 from Amazon, making it an affordable entry point into color-accurate photo editing on an external display.

Image credits: BenQ